Safety

Safe Driving…A Parent's Responsibility

Safe Driving…A Parent's Responsibility

You are your children's role model. Wear your seat belt on every trip in the car. If you drive without a seat belt, your children will likely copy your actions. The lap/shoulder belt is also your best protection in the case of a crash.

For a proper seat belt fit, the lap belt should be worn low and flat across the hips, and the shoulder belt should be worn across the shoulder, never behind the back or under the arm. Teach older children to wear their lap/shoulder belts properly.

On every trip, no matter how short, make sure that children ride buckled up. Infants and children who weigh less than 40 pounds should be fastened in a properly installed car safety seat. Older children should ride in booster seats until the lap and shoulder belt fit correctly (usually at about 4 feet 9 inches tall or 8 to 12 years old).

NEVER put a child in a rear-facing car safety seat in the front seat of a car with a passenger air bag.

Car safety seats should be placed in the back seat because it is the safest place to ride. Children should use car safety seats or booster seats as long as possible.

The rear section of a station wagon or the back of a pickup truck is the cargo area. No one should ride in a cargo area.

People thrown from vehicles are 25 times more likely to die. Proper use of car safety seats, booster seats, and seat belts and locked doors help prevent this danger even in the absence of a crash.

Take care to drive safely at all times as a good example for your children.